Twilight maiden
by Shadow masochist
Summary: Hizumi Mizutsuro is an outcast from the world and from the Blade Children. Will he be able to find acceptance in his rival, Ayumu, with the help of a mysterious girl? Or is his fate the same as his brother's?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This fic is written simply for my own amusement. I do not own Spiral or its characters.

A/N: In my own, personal opinion, there's a serious lack of Hizumi fanfics out there, and even less that contain an AyumuxHizumi pairing. So I'm taking it upon myself to add to whatever AyuxHizu fics they might have, and I hope you enjoy it. If you don't…well then, that's your problem, isn't it?

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_Since when…..have I become singled out from amongst the others? Since when…did people start treating me like my older brother? Since when…did I become such an outcast? _

"Hizumi. Hizumi…? Hizumi Mizutsuro, pay attention!" A sharp smack to the boy's head was enough to snap him back into reality.

"Ow. You don't have to hit me, Onee-san." The mint-haired boy frowned as he rubbed at his head. Those golden orbs stared at the frustrated woman in front of him. "What do you want?"

Kirie Tsuchiya let out a sigh. "Honestly, Hizumi. Can't you pay attention for just a little while? I really don't like to be ignored!"

"Funny…you should be used to it by now…" Hizumi mumbled beneath his breath, in hopes that the Watcher wouldn't hear him.

"What was that?" Kirie glared at the boy as she put out her cigarette.

"Nothing!" Mizutsuro smirked, earning another slap to the side of his head. "You know, I could have you charged with child abuse." The boy moved out of the way as the ashtray flew towards him, missing and hitting the wall behind him.

"You're obviously lacking in the manner department." Kirie growled as she fought the urge to lunge at the boy. Unlike you, your brother had some manners. And he never once had the nerve to argue with me."

"I'm not my brother." Hizumi adopted a pout to earn pity from the woman, but all he got was a quiet scoff.

"You should know better, Hizumi…you're his clone, and we both know it. So who do you think you're trying to pull one over on, hm?" Kiyotaka piped up as stood in the kitchen, making dinner.

The mint-haired boy suppressed a growl. "…Sh-shut up. Ok?" Quickly, he made his way to the front door and walked out. _'He doesn't have to remind me…damnit…stupid Kiyotaka….' _

Kirie frowned and turned her head to stare at the handsome brunette. "Should I go after him?"

Kiyotaka shook his head lightly and chuckled. "He'll be fine. He just needs some time to clear his head, that's all." In truth, he didn't blame Hizumi for getting upset with him. He knew that the subject was one Hizumi would rather not talk about, but he also had to accept the truth, no matter how unpleasant it seemed. "He's just a boy. Give him a while…let him blow off some steam. Besides…" the brunette smiled. "I made his favorite for dinner tonight…he'll come back eventually."

Kirie sauntered over to the man and folded her arms across his chest. "You're only saying that because you don't want me to nurture the kid."

Kiyotaka held back a laugh. "No offense to you, Kirie, but if you "nurture" Hizumi any more than you have already, he'd end up dead. Maybe you should try being a bit more…sisterly." He suggested.

"I'm not his sister. I only look out for his ungrateful butt! And it's called tough love, thank you very much!" The Watcher argued.

"I'm afraid tough love isn't what Hizumi needs right now….try to understand…" Kiyotaka put a hand on the woman's shoulder to calm her down. "…He needs something…deeper. You know what that is, don't you?"

Kirie looked away, unable to make eye contact with the brunette any longer. "I know…I just…it can end in pain. Hizumi doesn't need any more of that right now, and…" she hesitated.

"Shhh….he won't let that happen. I know it." Kiyotaka whispered as he turned the stove off and wrapped his arms around the woman. "I know it…."

A/N: Damnit. I know it's not the best for an opening chapter, but bear with me, it'll get better soon. I'm not going to make any promises, because I know that my writing skills suffer greatly and are far inferior to lots of other, well-written fanfics out there, but I'll try my best. And if you liked this, review. If not, well…don't.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I don't have much motivation right now, because I'm tired, but I couldn't sleep with the knowledge of updating hanging over my head, so here it is. I'm losing sleep because of this, so you'd better enjoy it.

Polaris18: I think you know as well as I do that I hate putting Hizumi in danger, or anything of the sort. Kirie is, at best, just a means to keep Hizumi in line. Considering her personality, she's prone to go about that the wrong way, and abuse Hizumi, and call it discipline, when it's really not.

KousukeAsazuki: Well, now…I'm flattered. I've heard a lot about you from Rae-chan, but I never expected to actually get a review form you. I'm a bit disappointed that you don't like Kirie, but as I said, she's only a means to keep Hizumi in line and out of trouble…and, of course, to keep an eye on the Blade Children. Thank you for reviewing.

----XXX----

It was getting late when Hizumi decided to walk off and head to the park, if only just to clear his head. He hated himself for arguing with Kiyotaka, since the man had done so many things for him, without him even asking. Sure, the older Narumi had killed his brother; the very man who created him, but he had good reason to. Yaiba was a threat to humanity, though Hizumi only chose to see the good in him, and came to the conclusion that his brother was simply misunderstood. Kiyotaka Narumi may have been his brother's murderer, but he made up for it by providing housing for him and, since the man _was_ his legal guardian, it seemed foolish; childish even, to get into an argument with him.

Hizumi mentally cussed himself for being so stupid; for running from the problem, instead of dealing with it head on. _'Why? Why am I like this?'_ Deep down, he felt he knew the reason, but was just afraid to confront it. _'If not now, when?'_ It would have to be brought up sooner or later.

The boy's thoughts weighed so heavily on his mind, that he failed to notice he had already gotten to the park. It wasn't until the soft splashing of the water in the fountain reached his ears, that the mint-haired boy finally glanced up, slightly curious as to where his feet had taken him. Hizumi took a moment to observe his familiar surroundings and decided it best to follow the path a bit further in, if he wanted the privacy and quiet atmosphere he'd come there for. It was a bit of an inconvenience to get to the spot, since it wasn't along the usual paved path that most people took, but it was worth the hassle.

Hizumi strayed from the path and moved onto the grass, quickly making his way to a small opening in between a group of unkempt bushes that served as a gate to the row of trees further in. There wasn't much of a path between the trees, but Hizumi chose to follow it anyway, knowing that past the dismal atmosphere the dead trees set, would be a much more pleasant one, where he could sit, undisturbed to his heart's content.

Once the worst was over and the trees were cleared, Hizumi stepped into a small, but cozy little clearing where one could sit and overlook a small garden of multi-colored flowers, or rest in the shade of the nearby sakura tree if they wanted. A lone bench accompanied the tree, and Hizumi headed to it, lying on the whitewashed wood and sighing as he looked to the sky as the sun began to set, making the cheery atmosphere of the clearing even more glorious. Despite the uplifting setting, a frown tugged persistently at his lips. _'Am I really just his clone?'_ The teen had to ask, but was further disappointed when he couldn't come up with an answer. "Yaibadamnit." Hizumi cussed quietly and slipped his harmonica from his pocket, in order to put his mind at ease.

Expertly, he brought it to his mouth and blew a few notes. It took only a moment to warm up, and soon, the boy was tuning out a mournful but soothing song that matched his mood. There was something ethereal in the way his own breath gave it life, and how the smooth metal became warm at his touch. The sound it created was both savage and soothing and it was addicting. Hizumi played expertly, almost passionately, as he put his full concentration on the melody that had developed a mind of its own; threatened to consume him unless he played it out to the end, and even still, he wanted more. Hesitantly, the instrument was removed from his lips and held gently in his palm while he caught his breath. It felt good to play out his feelings, to have something to release all the pent up rage and angst that always took shelter within him. A cool breeze lightly ruffled his mint green hair, drawing out a pleasant sigh from the boy.

The sun set over the horizon, bringing with it, the twilight, and a light applause from somewhere nearby. Those deep, amber orbs snapped open at the sound, and stared up at a young girl, presumably around his age, with waist length raven hair and eerie silver-purplish eyes. "That was a stunning performance. Do you always play like that?" the girl questioned, without so much as a smile.

Hizumi frowned, then jolted upright. "Don't sneak up on people like that!" he glared at the girl, not too pleased with the fact that he was being spied on. "Go find your own place to go. This spot's taken."

"You're mistaken. I've been here the entire time." The stranger countered. "Besides," she paused to flip a few strands of those long, raven tresses over her shoulder. "I've every right to be here, just as you do."

"Whatever." Hizumi stood up from the bench he was lying down on and sighed. "I think I'd like to know the name of girl who thinks this spot is hers to claim." He pocketed his harmonica and stared accusingly at the strangely dressed girl, who was clad in a gothic Lolita style uniform, obviously from some high-prestige academy.

A moment of silence passed between the two, before the girl decided to answer. "It's Raven." She replied, looking the boy up and down. "Raven Tasogare."

Hizumi cocked an eyebrow at the introduction. "Well now, Ms. Tasogare….it was ….interesting, to say the least, to meet you."

"I still haven't gotten _your_ name." Raven spoke up quickly. "Not that I care, it's just rude to not give your name if you ask someone for theirs."

"What do you know about rude?" Hizumi scowled. "You intrude on a person's personal space, then spy on them, and turn around and say you have every right to be here! I really don't see the need to give my name to someone like you, now don't you think?" he countered.

"…..What I think?" Raven tilted her head just slightly. "I think you're a rude, obnoxious little boy with a smart mouth and a personal space issue. It's not like I got in your way or anything, and I even gave you a compliment. Be grateful that I didn't act like a bitch to you like you're doing right now."

Hizumi blinked at the girl's sudden change of attitude. "Wait just a-!"

Those silver-purplish eyes stared straight through the mint-haired boy. "I have nothing more to say to you. Goodbye." Without another word, Raven turned and made her way out of the clearing, leaving the boy to contemplate on her words, and his own attitude.

"Yaibadamnit."

A/N: Hizumi's a bit of a jerk in this chapter, though I'm sure that didn't go unnoticed. Hell, I'd be a jerk too if all I wanted was a bit of privacy. Anyone would. You know the set rules; if you liked it, review.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: It seems to me that pain and loneliness is Hizumi's only companion. But I suppose if it wasn't, then I'd have no real meaning to be doing this fanfic, now would I? Alright then…now since that's been settled, I propose we get on with this.

KousukeAsazuki: Tell me…who, on the face of this corrupt planet, doesn't have problems? I do, you do, we all do. The key is to handle those problems face on, instead of shying away from them. That's what Raven and Hizumi failed to recognize, since they were both determined to have the last say and prove the other wrong. Thank you for the review.

Polaris18: Shouldn't you be working on the other half of the oneshot like we planned? Don't waste time posting up new fanfics and neglecting the one you said you'd do. Anyway, my ferrets probably won't be added into this fanfic, and if they did, they would appear later on. Probably as a last resort….(already thinking of how to use them) Thank you for reviewing.

Angel of 513: I'm glad that you like it. And yes, Hizumi did act like a jerk to Raven, but can you blame him? He had every reason to be upset, but he just went about handling it the wrong way. Thanks for reviewing.

-----XXX-----

Hizumi let out the breath he was unaware of holding and collapsed onto the bench as Raven left. "Damnit." It was clear that the girl had intruded on his personal space, but since when had it really become his? Did finding the secluded area give him authority to mark it as his own private property? He had found the park, but he never felt the right to call it his own; and since the spot resided within the boundaries of the park, did he really have any right to claim it at all? _'You're thinking too much.'_ His mind reasoned. _'It's about the principle.'_ Hizumi concluded, leaving it at that. But something still nagged at him, refusing to leave him alone. _'Maybe the reason I'm alone….isn't because of the inherited status of my brother. Maybe it's because I try so hard to push people away…when I know I'm just going to end up alone anyway…'_ Despite the years of neglect and ostracism, he knew that it would prove to turn out better, not only for himself, but for everyone, if he distanced himself.

But something still remained…after the so-called logic the boy had practically blinded himself with was gone….something still bugged him, and he knew it. The Earth, though as corrupt it may have been, held billions of people. Why couldn't at least one of those people see him for who he was…? Not as Yaiba's heir, not as the devil, but as Hizumi Mizutsuro…the boy who cried out to be recognized and appreciated. The boy who begged to be acknowledged by _who_ he was instead of _what_ he was. Why couldn't one, out of the billions of people, show him at least a little bit of love?

Another sigh escaped his lips as he thought it through, unable to come up with an answer that would satisfy him. He wanted answers, but instead, he had just given himself a royal migraine. "What a pain…" The mint-haired boy huffed in annoyance and stood from the bench. It was clearly late, and he needed to get back home before Kirie had a conniption and he landed himself in the hospital from an attack and an ashtray to the head. Claiming it out of boredom, he ran the events through his head, seeing himself getting in the front door, only to be attacked, verbally and physically, by the ambiguous Watcher. No doubt Kiyotaka would try to calm the out of control woman, only to be ignored and stand quietly on the sidelines. Then Kirie would yell and throw the ashtray…Hizumi would never see it coming until it was too late, and he lie on the floor in a pool of his own blood.

Kiyotaka would have a hell of a time explaining it to the doctors after he was rushed to the hospital.

A soft chuckle spilled from Hizumi's lips and he shook his head at the realization that it could possibly happen. In fact, with Kirie, it was a question of _when_ it would

happen…not _if._ He pushed it to the back his mind, deciding that a fight with Kirie was practically inevitable, and he made his way out of the clearing, stumbling along the path of dead trees and upraised roots in his haste.

Once clear from the maze of trees, Hizumi smiled for a brief moment as he saw the form of the girl who had approached him earlier. "Hey! It's _you_!" The mint-haired boy yelped, wanting to apologize for earlier. He stopped suddenly, in order to prevent slamming into her and knocking her down. "Um…it's Raven, right?"

The ebony-haired girl glanced over her shoulder, staring at the boy like he was the root of all evil. "I have nothing to say to you. Good night." She said simply, and began to walk away, not wanting to have anything more to do with the rude child.

A frown danced upon Hizumi's lips at the sudden comment. "Wait! I…I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier! I…I was stupid…and…well…" a hand was raised, brushing back those light green strands. "I'm sorry. I realized that you had every right to be there, and…I…I really acted like a jerk. I'm sorry."

Raven stopped in her tracks at the apology, pondering is she should forgive him or not. He had thought about the situation, and came to the conclusion that he was wrong in the way of doing things, so…. A tiny sigh made its presence known, a clear sigh that she was at least slightly irritated. "Your name."

Hizumi blinked. "H-huh?"

"Your name." Raven turned, staring at him through silver-purplish orbs that reflected the last fading rays of the sunset, making them look more stunning, and more of a fiery orange, if anything. "We haven't been properly introduced, since you failed to give me your name earlier." Raven stated. She treaded forward, her raven black locks waving violently behind her as the tempestuous gales settled and the twilight quickly passed into the dark night. The park lights came on, in attempt to illuminate the darkness that had so suddenly crept in. "Your name…." Raven repeated, as her eyes seemed to change color again, to adjust to the night. Those eerie orbs lost their silver glint and took on a darker purple hue, complimenting those raven tresses.

"Oh…" Hizumi gasped, not just at those unusual eyes, but at the fact that he was standing there like an idiot, gawking and not hearing a word she said. "It's Hizumi. Err…Hizumi Mizutsuro." He told her, in hopes that she would at least consider his apology. "Um…if you're still mad at me, I can make it up to you. How about coming to my place for dinner?"

Raven blinked at the sudden invitation. "I assure you, that's far from necessary; and rather sudden, might I add. I will, however, be so kind as to grace you with something else besides my presence…" she spoke, carefully choosing her words. A moment of silence passed between the two before the girl continued. "Apology accepted."

A/N: Well now, I wonder just how long before things between them stay settled. Only time will tell. Until then, feel free to drop off a review. Ja.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm beginning to wonder about the current situation. I seem to have a lack of reviewers. Is my fanfic really that unpleasant? If so, please don't hesitate to tell me what seems to be wrong. I enjoy this fanfic very much, and I wish for all of my readers to feel the same. With that said, I strongly encourage you to leave a review with your opinion on what I might add or change to make it better. Thank you. And enjoy this chapter.

KousukeAsazuki: Yes, Raven is kind. But her patience has limits, as dearest Hizumi-kun will soon find out.

Polaris18: I'm glad you enjoyed it. It makes me very happy to know that you're reading this, but you know what else would make me happy? If you post the other half to the oneshot (Tenchi no Yami) that I did. It's been over two weeks already. Post it, or I'll have to ask you for another favor.

----XXX----

"You…you what?" Hizumi blinked, unable to process the girl's words.

"I said that I accept your apology. I forgive you." Raven repeated, although not liking doing so. "Now I have nothing more to say to you. Goodnight, Mr. Mizutsuro." The ebony-haired girl said with a slight nod, then turned and made her way down the lit streets until she could no longer be seen.

Hizumi blinked a few times, stunned that Raven forgave him so easily. In his stupor, he barely noticed the sharp rings of his cellphone trying to snap him back into reality. "Uh…" The boy blinked once more before fishing said device from his pocket and checking the caller I.D. "Oh great." A frown curved his lips at the bother it would be to take the call. The frown all too soon gave way to a frustrated sigh, but he flipped the phone open, anyway to put the Watchers mind at ease. "What do you want?" His tone was a bit more aggravated than he had hoped to sound, and he knew he'd get an earful about it.

"What do I want? That's some attitude you've got, Hizumi! You shouldn't be so rude when people are worried sick about you!" The woman yelled frantically, in hopes to get the message across.

"You don't have to shout." The mint-haired teen huffed.

"Look, just…come home, alright?" There was just a hint of worry and fear evident in her voice that Hizumi was able to pick up.

"Nee-san, are you….?" He fought back the urge to laugh, though he was actually somewhat concerned.

"It's your night to do the dishes." Kirie said, bluntly.

"Wh-what? Hey, Kirie, hold on a sec-!" Hizumi yelped, getting only a soft click as his reply. "The only reason she was worried, was because she'd have to do the dishes if I didn't come home…I should've known…hm." Hizumi shrugged and slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Jeez, it's not even that late." He observed with a frown. "Heck, not even grade schoolers are asleep yet, and she wants me to come home…and just to do the dishes, no less…" he concluded. "She doesn't really need me…Kiyotaka doesn't even need me. I'm nothing. A clone….a copy of my brother….no one needed Mizutsuro Yaiba. No one understood him….so why should they have need of me?" Those perfect pink lips curled into a silent growl and his hands fisted at his sides. _'They don't need me…. They never will. I'll turn out just like my brother and then they'd kill me too. Why would they have need of someone who they see to be a threat?' _he questioned himself, losing hope that there would ever be a reason he'd be needed. With a heavy sigh, the frustrated boy collapsed on the edge of the fountain, lightly running his fingers over the scabrous cement.

_**Circling, you're circling, you're circling your head.  
Contemplating everything you ever said.**_

"You come here, too, hm?" A voice questioned from the opposite side of the fountain.

Hizumi recognized the voice immediately, and frowned, turning his gaze to the ground. "What do you want?"

_**Now I see the truth I got a doubt,  
A different motive in your eyes,  
and now I'm out.  
See you later.**_

_**I see your fantasy.  
You wanna make it a reality paved in gold,  
See inside, inside of our heads yeah.  
Well, now that's over.  
**_

"Want?" the voice parroted. "Nothing, really. You just seem like you need someone to talk to." The sound of footsteps drew closer until the figure was standing in front of Hizumi. "You don't seem like yourself." A hand was extended, and slender digits lightly raked through that feathery sea of mint green hair.

_**I see your motives inside,  
Decisions to hide...  
**_

Mizutsuro growled, slapping the hand away quickly. "Don't touch me! What makes you think you have the right to touch me? And I don't want to talk to you!" those burning amber orbs stared into calmer, more startled brown ones. "What can you, of all people, say to make me feel any better?" Hizumi yelled, standing quickly, and feeling better at eye level.

_**Back off, I'll take you on.**  
**Headstrong to take on anyone.  
I know that you are wrong,  
Headstrong, we're headstrong.  
Back off, I'll take you on.  
Headstrong to take on anyone.**_

_**I know that you are wrong, and this is not where you belong.**_

Ayumu sighed. "I can be here to listen if you feel like talking. You may not want to with me, but who else can you turn to? The Blade Children? Kiyotaka?" the brunette asked, knowing that he was Hizumi's only could turn to. "It's ok…" hesitantly, he brought his hand out, running it through those silky tresses once more. "You can…"

_**I can't give everything away.  
I won't give everything away.**_

_**Conclusions manifest,**_

"I said, don't touch me!" Hizumi fussed, once again, slapping the hand away. "We're rivals, Narumi. Fate's determined that from the beginning. I was meant to kill you, in order to prevent the blade Children from being saved, not to get close to you." The boy explained with a scowl.

_**Your first impression's got to be your very best.  
**_

"You can fight fate." Ayumu offered the confused teen a tiny smile. "Or will you choose to stand still and let it carry you along, forever knowing that you couldn't do a thing to change it? Can you honestly say that you won't fight? Can you honestly tell me that you're ok with sharing the exact same fate as your older brother; that you won't fight fate and try to change it?"

_**I see you're full of shit and that's alright,**_

_**That's how you play I guess you get through every night.  
Well now that's over.  
**_

"Shut up." Hizumi interrupted, knowing that all Narumi said was the truth, but lacking a reason to deny it. "The last thing I need is a lecture from you. I don't need your help, and I never did." Deeming the conversation done with, the boy turned, in hopes to get home before Kirie called with another excuse to bitch at him.

_**I see your fantasy.  
You wanna make it a reality paved in gold  
See inside, inside of our heads yeah.  
Well now that's over.  
I see your motives inside.  
Decisions to hide...**_

Ayumu sighed, growing frustrated with Hizumi's stubborn streak. As much as he hated to admit to it, he and Kousuke were almost exactly alike. They both shared the same headstrong attitude and stubbornness. "So you're ok with living the rest of your life forever being known as a devil….just like your brother? Just like Mizutsuro Yaiba?"

"I said shut up!" The amber-eyed teen shouted, turning to face the irritating Narumi. "Just looking at you pisses me off!"

_**Back off I'll take you on,  
Headstrong to take on anyone.  
I know that you are wrong,  
Headstrong, we're headstrong.  
Back off I'll take you on.  
Headstrong to take on anyone.  
I know that you are wrong,  
And this is not where you belong.  
(Where you belong)**_

_**I can't give everything away,  
I won't give everything away.**_

"Think so?" Ayumu kept his calm façade, despite being somewhat fearful of what the boy would do in his violent state. He wanted to laugh at how easily Hizumi could get rubbed the wrong way; he was exactly like Asazuki, but other times, he was just as dangerous as Kanone, and that's what scared him. Now was one of those times, he realized, as he noticed the murderous glint in those angry amber pools. "If it does, then there's a simple solution to your problem. Don't look at me if it gets you upset." He spoke. "But wouldn't you think it would be better if you try to face your problems head on, instead of trying to figure out a way around them?"

_**I know,  
I know all about,  
I know,  
I know all about,  
I know all about your motives inside,  
And your decision to hide.**_

"Don't tell me how to deal with me problems! _You're_ my problem, you got that? You always have been, and you always will be, until the day I send you to hell! Just you wait!" The mint-haired boy growled, wanting nothing more than to beat the boy to a bloody pulp and leave him for dead. "Just stay the hell away from me, you got that? Never want to see you again!"

**_Back off I'll take you on,  
Headstrong to take on anyone.  
I know that you are wrong,  
Headstrong, we're headstrong._**

"That's impossible." Ayumu spoke, knowing that unless he died or moved elsewhere, they'd eventually run into each other. It _was _a small world, after all.

_**Back off I'll take you on.  
Headstrong to take on anyone.**_

"Why the hell is it?" Hizumi shouted, attracting the attention of the late-night park attendants and a few people around them.

"…We have class together tomorrow." Ayumu stated, bluntly, taking the frustrated boy completely off guard. The last thing he wanted was to be the center of attention, but with Hizumi, that hope was shot down in an instant. "And could you at least _try_ to keep it down? Your big mouth is going to get us kicked out of the park."

**_I know that you are wrong,  
And this is not where you belong.  
(Where you belong)_**

"Don't tell me what the hell to do, you hear me, Narumi? You don't own me, and you're not my boss, so…!" The young devil was caught completely off guard when Ayumu grabbed his wrist, pulling him forward. Those deep amber pools widened as he fell forward, landing right into the brunette's arms, and his breath was taken away by a deep, crushing, mind-blowing kiss. Those golden orbs stared frantically into dark, chocolate brown ones, only to find them closed, and despite knowing his enemy was kissing him, Hizumi felt safe enough to know that he could let himself blush without fear of being seen and ridiculed about it later on. _'Thank god his eyes are closed.'_ He gave a mental sigh of relief, before the world stopped spinning and reality brought him back with a harsh slap in the face. He was kissing Narumi. Ayumu Narumi. The boy who he was fated to be rivals with! Hizumi immediately brought his guard up, shoving the brunette away from him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

_**I can't give everything away.**_

"What's wrong with _you_?" Ayumu parroted, frowning. Even when giving Hizumi something nice, something he thought they'd _both_ enjoy, (despite telling himself it was just to shut him up) he had to be a complete ass and complain about it. "Why can't you ever be grateful for once?"

**_(This is not where you belong)_**

"Grateful for what? _You_!" Hizumi yelled, glaring at the loser with unrestrained hatred. If looks could kill, Narumi'd be dead thrice over.

**_I won't give everything away._**

"You're impossible." The brunette-haired teen sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. "There's no use in trying to do anything for you. What's the point if you don't appreciate it? Maybe you _are _just like your brother." He realized, never knowing that he'd actually be saying it aloud. "You're beyond reason. You're so intent on having things your way, so you just go about your own path, unknowingly pushing away the people around you, and even thought you don't know it, your sinking deeper into the same fate as your brother. You're lost, Hizumi; sinking deeper into Yaiba's shadow, and you don't have a lifeline. If that's how you want it, then fine." Ayumu turned, walking away from the mint-haired teen without another word. He hoped the message had gotten through to him, that Hizumi would see that he needed help; that not everyone could save themselves from their own fate. If he wanted to be helped, then he'd have to stop being so stubborn and rely on someone to help him. _'I did what I could. I can only do what I can, and that's all. It's up to him now. If he wants to break free from the path his brother traveled…then he'll need to trust someone…rely on someone to help him. But if he doesn't…..so be it.'_

**_(This is not where you belong)  
This is not where you belong._**

A/N: I told you all the chapters would start getting better, didn't I? Perhaps I overdid it with the arguing and angst, but Hizumi really doesn't have a clue that he's treading the exact same path as Yaiba. Of course, Ayumu _would_ be the one to pound that into his head when no one else will…such a nice guy, isn't he?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Bipolar people are cool. I think I'm bipolar because at times I act really nice…dark, but nice. Other times, I'm a total bitch and just seem to snap. It's been happening more often, though, and that worries me. I'm not usually a person to worry, so you know that this is bad. I got in trouble for bringing knives to school the other day. Why, you might ask? It's a free country. That, and I was cutting myself in the bathroom, and outside at P.E. I don't hurt other people, only myself. I'm a very depressed individual, and I blame society and Polaris for that. I guess she and everyone else fall into "society" category, though. So, any breathing, living human is to blame I guess. With that said, enjoy this now meaningless chapter of my fanfic. I'm going to continue cutting myself and hope you all leave your reviews.

Polaris18: You know, you should change your penname. You're 19…almost 20 now. Looking at it pisses me off. Don't get me wrong, I love you to death, but…it's…that name….change it. Change it now. And update. I know this had nothing to do with your review, but I felt I had to say it. And thank you for saying that this fanfic isn't unpleasant. Your "smash his head in with a metal pipe" comment gave me an idea. Thank you. True, it's not Hizumi's fault he's so angry, but he just doesn't know how to deal with it. If you were in his position, you'd be angry too.

KousukeAsazuki: Ayumu…..nice. Yes, well, it only stands to reason. He is god's brother after all. Just like Hizumi is devil's brother. Now that Kiyotaka (supposedly in the anime) is dead or something like that, Ayumu took his place as God, and hope for the Blade children. He's offering them their salvation…exactly like a god. And vice-versa for hizumi…he's out to lead God (Ayumu) and the fallen angels (the blade children) to their demise. Hence, his title "devil"…like his brother. Anyway, Hizumi and Ayumu can't kill themselves. It's been tried before…Hizumi tried multiple times in the manga to kill himself, but it simply can't be done. Thank you. I suppose I've forgotten that this was simply for my enjoyment…but it would be nice if I had just the same two reviewers. And I don't mind your long reviews.

-----xxx-----

'_Am I really that much like my brother?'_ Hizumi had to ask as he watched Narumi walk away; leave him like so many others had done before. The last thing he wanted was to follow the same path as his brother. "Yaibadamnit." The boy cussed; more out of habit than frustration. _'Of course I'm like him. I'm his clone.'_ He realized with a sigh.

Who's fault was it really? Was it Yaiba's fault for creating him and designing him to be his exact duplicate? Yaiba; the creator designed his children to have their own free will up until a certain age, at least. _'If that was the case, then do I have free will, too? Did my brother give me that privilege, or am I different from the Blade Children?'_ a slight frown curved his lips at the thought of his brother being so cruel as to deny him that one, single pleasure. Without his own free will, everything he fought so hard to deny didn't matter. In the end, it all boiled down to one question. _'Do I have my own free will, or have I been controlled by my brother from the beginning?' _ In truth, he was just tired of questioning himself and his existence. That was all his life had become; a riddle wrapped in a mystery that could never be solved. _'Maybe I'm not meant to know. Figures. I'm left in the dark about everything. I go through my life asking questions that I'll never get the answers to, and in the end, absolutely nothing will be accomplished.'_ Mizutsuro concluded. _'I guess my brother really knew what he was doing. Leaving all of us in the dark like this, but for me, even moreso. If he wants something to stay hidden, he really doesn't kid around.'_ Hizumi thought, with a light shake of his head. He had gone to the park in hopes to clear his head, but all he ended up with was a headache and questions that couldn't be answered. He would've laughed at the irony of it, if it wasn't for the fact that it seriously pissed him off.

Deciding that it was useless to further question his brother's motives and give himself an even bigger headache, he followed some distance behind Ayumu on the path that led out of the park. Despite having stood fixated to that one spot near the fountain for quite some time, he had found that the brunette hadn't really left him entirely. Either Narumi had been walking slowly, or he was waiting for Hizumi to stop daydreaming and follow him. _'But for what reason would he want me to follow him, damnit?'_ Hizumi asked, furrowing his brow, then deciding that he wasn't going to get an answer by simply pondering what the boy had up his sleeve. "Hey! Narumi!" he called out to the boy, almost instantly regretting it.

Ayumu paused, stopping and looking back to see who had called him. "Hm?"

Hizumi felt the urge to run and catch up with him, but he stopped abruptly when Ayumu glanced at him. "Uh…why'd you wait up for me?"

"What do you mean? I'm just walking home." The brunette sighed. He knew Hizumi was right in a way. If he really wasn't waiting for him, then he should've been out of the park by now, but instead, he had only traveled a few meters from the fountain.

"It doesn't make sense." Hizumi spoke, deciding to approach the boy. Nothing could happen if he just moved a bit closer, right? Ayumu wasn't the type of person to suddenly attack him if he didn't have a reason to feel threatened or provoked. Besides, in a fight, Hizumi would have a clear advantage. "If you wanted to leave, you would've been gone already." Hizumi explained. "The entrance to the park is three meters from here, and doesn't even take two minutes to reach that point. I stood at the fountain for a good five minutes, at least, after you decided to walk away. It's obvious the equation doesn't add up, so it's my conclusion that you were waiting for me for some reason."

"That's some pretty amazing reasoning you've got there." Ayumu spoke, staring at the mint-haired boy. "Even so, I bet you still can't figure out why I chose to wait up for you, if that's really what I was doing."

"Uh…" Hizumi choked out, cursing himself for not having the answer. He was outdone by Narumi yet again. _'D-damnit…'_ he mentally cussed. _'Before Narumi….before him….I find myself faltering every time….but why?'_ he asked, suppressing a growl, as well as the urge to shrink away. _'Why am I inferior to him?'_

**Flashback**

"Kanone." Eyes whispered as he gazed out of the window of his penthouse. He had just received the news of his lover's demise, done by Hizumi's hand. Eyes always knew Kanone was stronger than any of them, when it came to sheer endurance, but there wasn't anyone who could survive six rounds to the chest and live to tell about it. Unless Kanone was saved by some sort of miracle…but no. None of the Blade Children could ever hope to receive such a blessing.

"I'm not sorry I did it." Hizumi explained, after giving Eyes the details. "He wanted me to kill him, and I did. That's all there is to it. There's no logic or anything to it. Just plain and simple death."

"I understand." Eyes spoke, putting the younger boy's mind at ease.

It was the last thing Hizumi ever thought Eyes would say. Here, he just killed Rutherford's childhood friend and lover, and he says it's ok? "Why am I like this?" he questioned, figuring that if no one else had the answer, Eyes would. "Why am I like this, not just with Kanone, but with Ayumu, too? Why can't I kill him as easily as I did Kanone? Why do I hesitate?"

"There are many reasons to that, Hizumi. One may be because you're unsure if it's alright to kill him or not. There is, however, one reason that stands out from amongst the others." He explained.

"And what's that?" Mizutsuro asked, despite already knowing the answer.

"It's because you're a devil." Eyes replied, showing him the truth, despite Hizumi's disliking of it, the reason why he faltered in the presence of Ayumu. "And, as such, you fear him. You fear the light he casts that obliterates your darkness…"

"The…light…?" Hizumi parroted, finally beginning to realize. _'Of course. He's their hope, after all. And Yaiba's intention was for me to crush that hope and exterminate that pathetic light….the light that brightened the Blade Children's dark futures….'_

"Hizumi…" Eyes glanced over his shoulder at the troubled teen. "Do you know what _'Christos'_ means?" That British accent became softer, gentler, as if he were talking to a child.

"No…" the young devil replied, frowning that he didn't have the answer.

Rutherford continued with a slight nod, understanding that Hizumi probably wasn't familiar with the word since he acted as its opposite. Yaiba had probably clouded the boy's mind to the point where it was crippling, and Hizumi had to rely heavily on his word like it was law; almost like a master/servant relationship. He had to wonder…..was Yaiba really that cruel? "Did you know that "_Christos_" is a Greek word meaning "_messiah_" or "_savior_"? I wonder…who do you think lives up to that role, at least, for the Blade Children, anyway?"

"Ayumu…" Hizumi relied without hesitation. _'It's always Ayumu…'_

"Thus the reason why you falter before him. It's only natural for the devil to falter in god's presence." The Brit. explained, turning away from his window and sauntering over to the distraught boy. Slowly, he lowered himself onto one knee, bringing out his hand to caress that soft cheek that was wet with tears. A slight frown played upon his lips, and he briefly memorized the moisture that kissed his palm. It was a rare thing for Hizumi to shed tears, and even rarer to do so in front of anyone, so he took the time to cherish it, memorize it, and keep it locked away. "Hizumi….look at me." He pleaded with the devil, in hopes to get him to open up. Softly his thumb traced the outline of his cheek, wiping away a fresh tear.

"I don't want this. I don't want to be known as a devil." The mint-haired boy sobbed quietly, his hand fisting against the couch cushions. "I'm not my brother…."

**End Flashback**

'_It's because you're a devil.'_ Eyes' voice echoed in Hizumi's head. _'A devil.'_

'_Am I really?'_ Mizutsuro wondered, noticing that Ayumu was suddenly much closer to him than he had been.

'_I'm not my brother.' _

That's right. _'I remember crying.'_ Hizumi thought, trying to drown out the voices that sounded in his head, and focus more on trying to figure out what Narumi wanted. _Too close. He was too close_. Hizumi took a step back, in attempt to distance himself from Ayumu; from the savior; from the light. "Hikari…" the word left Hizumi's parted lips in the form of a gasp, and he didn't know what he had said until it was too late.

"What?" Narumi frowned slightly at the word.

Another gasp left his lips, this time, at the realization of the predicament he had somehow put himself in. In attempt to cause a diversion, he licked his all too dry lips and opened his mouth to give a reply, a change of topic, even, anything that would lessen the tension that could be felt in the air between them. _'Why did you wait for me?'_ the question rose to the front of his mind, but was never voiced.

As soon as those soft, pink lips parted, Narumi dove down on them, like a hawk, framing Hizumi's face with his hands, and crushing his lips to the softer, wetter ones.

Hizumi's eyes widened, and a light blush rose to color his soft, peach colored cheeks. As soon as their lips met, he couldn't breathe. He didn't know if it was because of the shock of being kissed by his rival, or if it was because Ayumu and the kiss took his breath away. Either way, he really didn't care. It was wrong. Bottom line.

'_He's trembling.'_ Ayumu noticed, wondering why someone who seemed to be so damn headstrong and stubborn would falter and even tremble before him. _'Hizumi…you don't have to be afraid….'_ A hand traveled down, reluctantly leaving Hizumi's soft cheek and moved to wrap around his waist in attempt to calm him down a little. _'I guess since he's not pushing me away, that's a good thing….maybe he really does want my help….'_ Slowly, he brushed his tongue over that trembling bottom lip, asking for entrance into that soft, warm, inviting mouth. Hizumi didn't respond, so he took it as a yes, slipping his tongue into those moist confines and tasting the sweetness behind the bitterness the boy always displayed. He tasted like strawberries.

'_Wrong!'_ Hizumi's mind screamed at him, but he was paralyzed with shock at what Narumi was doing to him. _'It's wrong!'_ How could it be wrong when this was what he wanted all along? Someone to love him? Someone to hold him close and kiss away his doubts and fears…. _'He's your enemy!'_ Close….Narumi was… _'Too close!'_ Mizutsuro's eyes widened even more, if possible, and he was thrown back into reality. _'Narumi's lips…so warm…'_ he thought, before some other part screamed at him again. _'He's your enemy!' _ His arm shot out, shoving the boy away from him. "No!" Hizumi yelled, panting slightly, and feeling somewhat violated. "Stay the hell away from me!" His mind was still fuzzy from having being kissed senseless, and already he longed to be back in Narumi's arms; to have all his troubles vanish with a mere kiss. _'It's the lust, ignore it. Lust isn't the same as love. He doesn't love me. He never loved me. He's my enemy._' The mint-haired devil reasoned, trying to clear his mind. _'Hikari will never love Yami….'_ "Stay the hell away from me, damnit! Don't kiss me, don't come near me, don't even talk to me! I hate you!"

Ayumu stood, transfixed to the spot were he stood. Hate was such a strong word, but he really didn't expect anything less to come out of Hizumi's mouth. _'That soft, sweet mouth….' _Narumi thought, wanting to claim those soft lips as his, and delve like a man starved into that lush, strawberry flavored mouth. "Hizumi…"

"Shut up!" Mizutsuro growled angrily, running past the confused boy and out of the park. All he wanted to do was get home and even have Kirie yell at him for worrying her. He really didn't mind it so much, now. _'Kirie…'_ Hizumi longed to be back home where he could just forget everything and hope never to leave her side, in fear of the world he had been to abruptly thrown into; a world of love and compassion. _'It this really what I want?'_ Narumi had thrown him into this foreign world so suddenly, he wasn't sure of what he really wanted now. He needed time. Time to see on his own…that love could exist for him…and that it was waiting, forever waiting…for him to step into the light and break free from the darkness that was his brother.

A/N: I'm wondering…is Hizumi really that dense, or is he just afraid of getting caught up in something he doesn't understand? How…ironic….my own creation….it's perplexing even me….I'm assuming that it would be difficult for anyone, really, to suddenly get thrown into a world of love and to be accepted when your entire life has been the exact opposite. Poor Hizumi.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I apologize for the delay in updating. I've been overworked with classes and homework, sketches, and I've had to schedule appointments and such for my son…everything's chaotic and I just don't have enough time for myself anymore, which is attributing to my current depression phase. Now, if I haven't depressed you readers, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

KousukeAsazuki: I'm sorry that Hizumi's become annoying to you. The last thing I want is for you to stop reading because of the problems of the main character. It's feedback like this that allows me to make the sufficient changes I need to keep the readers interest. Though as of this moment, I'm hesitant to change Hizumi's negative attitude, since he still has a lot more growing to do. I can understand that it can be a bit annoying, but that's just the way some people were raised and taught to believe negative things like that.

Polaris18: Let me tell you something. Life isn't fair. Get over it. I had to learn that the hard way, so don't want to hear you bitch about what's fair and what's not. And…you are a freak, hence the reason I love you. Ok, so maybe that's not the reason, but it's pretty darn close. I'm glad you forgive me, but I don't see why calling Ayumu "hikari" seems to upset you. Do you hate Ayumu? Would you prefer he be called "kami" instead? And I really don't think he has it in him to rape Hizumi….yet.

-----xxx-----

"Baka!" Hizumi yelped through gritted teeth as he ran home as fast as his legs could carry him. "Narumi no baka!" Hot tears stung at his eyes, blurring his vision and cascading down the contour of his flushed cheeks like tiny rivers. Already his lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen he was being deprived from as he ran and was worsened by the stress he was putting on himself, though he blamed it on Narumi. Despite the growing pain in his chest that was beginning to travel down to his ribs, he kept running, blindly groping through the darkness and thinning crowds in attempt to escape from the brunette-haired boy. "Baka!" Mizutsuro screamed out, shutting his eyes tightly to block out the images of the kiss he had just shared with his rival. No sooner had he shut his eyes, he slammed headfirst into a solid object that had placed itself in his way, and fell backward onto his rear.

"You shouldn't run with your eyes closed."

"Eh?" Hizumi opened one of those deep, amber orbs, focusing on the person he had slammed into in his haste. Before him stood a boy, presumably around his age, with soft, lavender hair that was cut short and spiked much in a way his own hair was, and deep, fiery orange eyes that cut through the surrounding darkness like a lighthouse beacon.

"You should try to be a bit more careful of what's around you…" the odd-eyed boy chided with a smile. His voice seemed soft, much like Rutherford's, but didn't carry the boy's gentle, British accent. Instead, it held a kind, almost motherly concern to make up for the lack of an accent. "Are you hurt?"

"Uh….I don't think so…" Hizumi flushed with embarrassment as the boy offered a hand to help him to his feet. Without hesitation, Hizumi reached out, taking the extended hand, wondering how he could come to trust a complete stranger and not young Narumi, who he had known for much longer.

"That's good to know." The lavender-haired boy laughed softly, his fiery orbs glinting with a spark of mirth. "Try to be more careful next time." He advised, turning and continuing on his way. After taking a few steps, the boy stopped in his tracks as a thought crossed his mind. "Oh, and…cheer up. There's really no reason to cry when you don't have to. I'm not really sure what you're going through, but I know it can't be all that bad. I apologize if it seems like I'm meddling, but look at it this way….you're fortunate enough to be living your life the way it is. It could always be worse, but it's not….so try to be happy." The lavender-haired boy turned his head to glance over his shoulder at the stranger who has run into him. "Angels shouldn't cry." He smiled once more, more out of habit than encouragement.

Hizumi's eyes widened slightly at the comment, and the look of shock was quickly replaced with a tiny scowl. "I'm no angel." He quickly denied, with a light shake of his head.

"Then you're saying you're a devil? Funny, it doesn't look that way to me…Try not to downgrade yourself. Despite what you think, you're not a bad person, I'm sure. Everyone's got a few good qualities in them….they just don't know it yet. And I'm sure that even if you _didn't_ have those qualities, people would love you for who you are….instead…instead of _what_ you are…" A slight frown tugged at the orange-eyed boy's lips. "So be glad you don't have it that bad." A sigh escaped the boy's lips, barely audible to Hizumi's ears, and after a brief moment of contemplating, he turned and continued on his way, leaving Hizumi there to collect his thoughts.

'_So many weird people…'_ The mint-haired boy thought to himself, wondering whether it was a blessing or a curse to have complete strangers try and help him. But why? What was in it for them if they helped him? _'Absolutely nothing.'_ He concluded, deciding that they were being stupid and wasting their time if they had nothing to gain from helping him. He had long ago closed his mind to the fact that there were selfless people out there and that only selfish, greedy people existed, living only for themselves and hurting others, especially him. _'I'm always the one getting hurt…'_ Despite the contradicting thought, he knew that there were people out there who went through twice the hell he thought he had, like people in third-world countries who were faced with starvation and poverty day after day.

Mizutsuro suppressed a melancholy sigh at the depressing thought and walked the rest of the way home, hoping that Kirie and Kiyotaka would welcome him and try to lift his dismal spirit.

Once he arrived at the house, Hizumi slipped his key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. "I'm ho-ugh!" No sooner had he stepped in the door, he found himself in a near fatal choke hold.

"You ungrateful little bastard! You had the both of us worried sick! What were you thinking, running out like that, huh?" The pink-haired Watcher growled angrily.

"I know you've been worried about him, Kirie, but think you should let him go." Kiyotaka suggested, watching as the woman released him. "Are you hungry, Hizumi?" the brunette asked, as he turned toward the fridge to take out the place of food that he had saved for the boy.

"No." Hizumi answered quickly, more out of habit than stubbornness, and quickly went to his room, locking the door and hoping that no one would bother him. In all honesty, he didn't know what emotions warred within him at the moment, since each one swirled and melted together into one enormous cloud of lust, and hatred, and above all-fear, though he'd die before he ever admitted it. He was afraid…afraid of being an outcast, afraid of the feelings that Ayumu planted in him with that kiss, afraid of Ayumu himself, and afraid of being loved for the first time in his life. "Damnit." He cussed, not knowing how else to handle the situation he was being forced to deal with. "Damnit. Damnit! Damnit!" Enraged and frustrated, he flung himself onto his bed, landing facedown on the mattress, and burying his tear-stained face in the plush, forest green pillow. "Why…? Why am I like this?" the question was muffled by the pillow, but it didn't matter. He was talking to himself-a sure sign that he was going insane.

A breathy sigh made its way past his lips as he lifted his face out of the pillow and pushed himself up into a sitting position on the bed. Quickly, his socks were thrown off, and his shirt slipped over his head and onto the floor. Hesitantly, the mint-haired boy bit his lip and cast a glance to his bedroom door, double-checking to see if it was locked, before unbuttoning his pants and tugging the zipper down, squirming out of the constricting clothing. A gasp caught in his throat as his semi-erect member was released from its prison and into the distinctly cooler air of his room.

He raised his hand up, gently stroking his chest, and closing those dark, honey-colored orbs. He tilted his head back slowly, lightly moaning with his hand's movements. He

moved his hand towards a nipple, pinching and scraping over it with his nail, then

began squeezing it roughly, its color turning a bright red from the pleasurable attention. A silent cry died upon his lips, and he was forced to bit his lip once again to prevent from making any noise that would most likely draw the attention of Kirie and the elder Narumi. Neither of them needed to know of his dirty little habit, especially driven by thoughts of Kiyotaka's younger brother.

Ever so slowly, Hizumi brought his hand down, trailing the tips of his fingers across the flat expanse of stomach, massaging the soft skin and wishing that it was Narumi touching him. _'Lust…that's all it is….'_ He convinced himself while he still had some sanity left. His so-called reasoning was lost as he stroked his fingertips over the base of his cock. He gasped and those golden orbs snapped open when he felt a warm wetness trickle down his thighs. With trembling digits, he caressed the slit carefully, feeling the warmth coat his fingers. A trembling sigh danced over his lips as he gripped the hilt firmly, and began to pump rhythmically at his hardened shaft at a slow rate before working up to a furiously fast pace and gasping out Ayumu's name.

Those slender hips arched slightly off the bed, thrusting into that warm hand. Hizumi forgot his surroundings and moaned out, writhing beneath his own hand in desperate need of a release. "Ayumu…." The youth panted, continuing to masturbate; pleasing himself harder, harder, and harder-

"Hizumi! Baka Hizumi!" Kirie pounded on Mizutsuro's door loudly.

"Shit!" Hizumi scrambled to grab his comforter, covering his nakedness.

"Go to sleep! You have school in the morning, and I'm _not_ waking you up again if you oversleep!" the Watcher shouted through the door.

"Fine!" Hizumi shouted back. The mint-haired boy breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Kirie give a 'hmph' and stomp back into her own room. He lay back down on his bed, fidgeting every now and then; then after fifteen minutes, he let out a semi-loud groan. "She always ruins my fun."

A/N: I have to yet again apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but like I said, I'm short on time. I hope you readers find it in your hearts to forgive me, and leave a review, since I really do appreciate feedback from you all. Ja.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Well, I've had a hell of a week. On Thursday, I was graciously invited to view a performance of the Philharmonic orchestra in L.A. Since a friend of mine plays bass in the orchestra, he got us $90.00 seats, with a very nice view of the stage. It was very beautiful. Then, On Friday, I had arrived at school, and around second period, there was a power outage. The very next period, some stupid kid was joking around and said that he had a bomb in his backpack and a pound of coke. The school police arrived, followed by the bomb squad, and we were forced to evacuate the building. It was interesting to say the least. So much excitement. It didn't really interest me, so while the students were waiting, I told the fortune of a few of the students who approached me. I never leave home without my beloved tarot cards. Feel free to call me weird, but it's a profession I am quite proud of, since my mother is a fortune teller. ….Since I have nothing more to say, enjoy the product of my diligent labor.

Polaris18: I'm glad that you seem so enthusiastic about this. I am, too, and I thank you for letting me borrow him. Yes, it is the younger one, by the way. You, of all people should know. He _does_ belong to you, after all. You _should_ be confused. Hizumi doesn't like Ayumu, at least, he tells himself he doesn't, but somewhere in that disgustingly cold, dark heart of his, we all know that he really does love him.

-----xxx-----

"Hizumi. Hizumi, it's time to get up, come on." Kirie poked at the sleeping figure curled beneath the sheets. "Ugh, you're so difficult…" The Watcher huffed, grabbing the sheets and yanking them back to reveal the boy's nude form to the colder air in the room. "And since when do you sleep naked?"

Hizumi's lips curled into a pout, and a soft groan followed shortly as the cold air caressing his warmed skin. "Leave me alone…" Blindly, he groped for the sheets, but they were tossed to a corner of the room, far from his reach.

"Kiyotaka says get up. Hurry and take a shower and grab breakfast before you leave for school." Kirie reached out, rubbing the boy's head and messing up his already unkempt hair. "Honestly, what would you do without me?" the woman smiled at the displeased frown she got.

"Sleep." Hizumi shot back, bitterly, prying his head from the pillow and trying his best to hide a yawn.

A soft chuckle sounded from the bedroom door, and both Kirie and Hizumi looked upon a smiling Kiyotaka. "You look like you didn't get much sleep last night, Hizumi."

"Thanks for noticing." The boy spoke, in between another yawn. "And can you two _please_ get out of my room while I'm not dressed? I'm not on display, you know!" Forgetting quickly about his lack of sleep, Mizutsuro reached for his pillow, hurling it at the intruders in attempt to make them leave. "Get out!"

"Ok, ok. But naked or not, you're just so darn cute…" Kirie laughed and pinched Hizumi's cheek as she would an infant's, before her hand was slapped away.

"Get out!"

Kiyotaka and Kirie quickly made their exit, closing the door to give the younger one a bit of privacy. "You have to admit, he's not very pleasant to deal with in the mornings. That's supposed to be your job, don't forget." Kirie sighed as she pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"I've got my hands full trying to stop the Hunters from killing the Blade Children, while trying to keep the Savers in check. I don't have to time to deal with Hizumi at the moment." Kiyotaka explained. Knowing that Kirie's job wasn't half as burdensome as his own.

"Oh. I forgot about the Savers." Kirie gasped. "I guess no one really pays that much attention to them, what with the Hunters on top of everything. If only Yaiba were alive to know that some part of his organization is still desperately working to support him, even after his death, to create more Blade Children. I'm surprised that it's been going on for this long, really."

"It's been going on for _too_ long." The elder Narumi corrected her. "The last thing we need is another batch of Blade Children to give the Hunters another reason to exterminate them. And Hizumi certainly isn't helping the situation."

Kirie cast a glance to the brunette, knowing that the topic would eventually arise, and it was best to just nip it in the bud before any further problems resulted. "Even _you_ consider him a threat, don't you, Kiyotaka? Hizumi's destined to be the one who'll awaken the blood of the remaining Blade children…and if that happens, everything you did, such as bringing the Blade Children their 'hope" will have been in vain." The Watcher explained with a sigh. "He's a dangerous adversary for Ayumu and the Blade children. You may not want to admit it at this moment, but I think you know that history always repeats itself. Just as you killed Yaiba, you'll have to eliminate Hizumi as well, before things get out of hand."

"No. It's not going to be me." Kiyotaka interrupted her. "It's going to be Ayumu. As the Blade Children's hope, he _has_ to…it's the only way, I'm afraid. Since Hizumi's taking part in killing the Blade Children, he's no different from the hunters, and Ayumu is the one who _has_ to end that."

"All in all, I still can't help but to feel sorry for him. I mean, it's not like he _asked_ to be thrown into all of this." Kirie leaned her back against the wall and folder her arms across her chest. "Most of the problems he's dealing with now is all due to his hard childhood. Think about he how must've felt to know that his older brother, the only family he had was known as a "devil" and planned on creating the Blade Children to replace humanity. It must've been awful, even after when his brother "changed". They weren't that far apart in age, so Hizumi would've seen his brother's "insanity" as a child. That had to be hard, not just on him, but on anyone. Plus, Hizumi will have to go through the same change when he's older. That has to be hard to accept." Kirie stated. "Then there's the Hunters who are after him because he's the younger brother of Mizutsuro Yaiba, the Blade Children don't accept him because his brother's the cause of all of this, and on top of that, he's probably dealing with what every growing boy has to go through."

"And what's that?" Kiyotaka questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"Hormones." Kirie frowned at the brunette's so-called "genius", and fisted her hand, giving the man a light, playful tap on his forehead. "Baka. It's not a good life to live, especially for a boy his age, but he does well, so you have to give him credit for that."

Kiyotaka stifled a soft chuckle, desperately hoping that somehow, despite all the odds, Hizumi would pull through and step out of his older brother's shadow, so his fate wouldn't be the same as Yaiba's. In truth, he had grown to like the mint-haired boy, despite him being Yaiba's so-called clone. There was no such thing as a perfect copy, and that was proven with Ayumu. The younger boy was different from him in numerous ways, and that was reason in itself to have conviction that Hizumi was nothing like his elder brother. _'If only he could come to realize that. He doesn't have to follow in Yaiba's footsteps if he doesn't want to…and he won't have to die at the hands of Ayumu…'_

"I'm hungry. Let's grab breakfast." Kirie spoke, interrupting the brunette from his thoughts. "Your treat." She turned, heading for the door, not at all eager to get to work as a Watcher.

"It's _always_ my treat." Kiyotaka huffed as he followed Kirie out the door, hoping that Hizumi would lock up before he left for school.

"…I'm short on cash." Kirie lied, using that as an excuse, as always.

Kiyotaka laughed, closing the door behind him. "You could moonlight as a prostitute."

"You wish."

Hizumi lost himself in his thoughts as the steaming water caressed his flash and cascaded in tiny rivulets down his chest and slender hips, mixing with the blood and soap suds and washing them down the drain. A sharp hiss fell from those pink, parted lips, but was drowned out by the spray from the showerhead. The mint-haired boy closed his eyes against the hot water and brought his nails deeper into his shoulder, squeezing hard enough to break the skin and draw deep crimson blood that was quickly washed away from the thin lines by the scalding water. Despite his pain, the images of last night wouldn't leave him, but stayed etched in his mind; the kiss Narumi gave to him, the strange girl he had met, the stranger who had called him an angel, and the way he shamelessly writhed on his bed with the thoughts of the younger Narumi pleasing him. Just the thought of it made him want to hurl, and he had scrubbed his body hard enough to make his skin bleed, but still it wasn't enough. Giving up, he reached out and turned the knobs, shutting off the water, and grabbed a towel to dry himself as he got out the shower, ignoring the slight, burning pain in his shoulder.

The thought crossed his mind of staying home, if only to avoid Ayumu, but he quickly dismissed it, deciding that it would be best to face the problem head on, instead of running from it. After drying himself off, he lightly coated his hair with spray, then brushed it through, trying to restore the damp locks to their original semi-spiked nature. After a brisk shake of his head, he got the desired results, and left his bathroom in the nude to gather his clothes for school.

The amber-eyed youth sauntered across the room to approach the large armoire that filled the corner of his room, and pulled open one of the carved wooden doors to retrieve one of his school uniforms. With a soft click, the door was closed, and Hizumi turned away from the massive fixture to retrieve a clean pair of boxers from the chest of drawers adjacent to the armoire. His hand was raised, and the drawer was pulled out, along with a pair of clean undergarments, which were quickly pulled onto those smooth hips, followed by his pants. The white shirt was pulled over his head, followed by the jacket, and the boy turned, glancing at his reflection in the full-length mirror that stood near the armoire. Satisfied, he left his room, closing the door to ensure privacy, then left the house, locking the door behind him.

The sun shone brightly overhead, and the sweet, spring air filled the boy's lungs as he inhaled deeply, taking in the smells and sounds of the morning, completely forgetting about the younger Narumi. The morning was far to perfect to let thoughts of the troublesome brunette plague his mind. Instead, he chose to focus on something much more pleasant…like flowers. The one particular flower that came to mind was an iris, and the iris reminded him of Kiyotaka, Kiyotaka reminded him of Ayumu, and…. "Damnit." Hizumi cussed, growing irritated that these thoughts of the younger Narumi wouldn't leave him alone.

A pair of light blue eyes stared down at the vexed youth, watching his every move. _'He's so cute when he's angry.'_ The silver haired-figure thought, from her perch atop a telephone pole. A hint of a smile tugged at the girl's lips, and a spark of mirth brightened those deep, azure pools. She swung her legs in the air and brought both of her hands to her check, tightly clasped with each other. "This is going to be so exciting!" With precise timing and cat-like agility, she stood up, making sure she had sure footing on top the large pillar. A gentle breeze picked up, caressing those silver tresses and tossing a few scattered sakura petals in her direction. A soft, pink petal was caught in mid-air, between slender digits, and brought to the young girl's lips. A chaste kiss was planted upon the velvety surface. _'Dearest Hizumi…If you don't change your fate….I'll do it for you.'_

A/N: Well now, little Hizumi's got himself a stalker. How unfortunate. I wonder if Rae-chan can figure out who it is….or maybe KousukeAsazuki. Now onto a question for my readers…how on Earth does instant ramen catch on fire? I'd really like to know. My younger brother tried to cook some the other day, and the damn thing caught fire in the microwave. Thankfully, it was put out right away, but our microwave didn't make it out alive. I shall miss it dearly….and direct my love toward our new microwave. Blessed heating appliance….I thank the man who invented such a wondrous appliance. (applauses) …..Now feel free to leave a review.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: As a warning to my readers, if you have a kid brother, I implore you, never put ferret droppings onto his pillow while he's asleep…especially if he's a wild sleeper and he somehow gets it in his hair. I believe he's actually quite pissed, since he tried to get revenge by spraying Raid on my pet ferret, Lucifer. (sighs) The vet said there wasn't much harm done, thank god, but I'm seriously going to kill my brother for that. He's done a lot more than that, so I have a plethora of reasons to throw him out of a moving car or some other form of punishment. Yes, we're just your normal family….we just try to kill each other ever waking moment. There's nothing wrong with that….most everyone who has a sibling has tried at one time or another. It is a never-ending cycle that has always occurred. From the days of Cain and Abel, sibling rivalry has existed, and sill exists even in our day. …..Cain and Abel…perhaps I could offer my brother as a sacrifice….while I ponder this crucial decision and find the materials necessary to build an altar, you readers go ahead and read this chapter. Enjoy.

KousukeAsazuki: I'm glad you reviewed. I had learned from Rae-chan that you were busy with college and all, so I decided that you probably didn't have the time to leave a review, and I put up chapter 7. And yes, his ramen caught fire. It really wasn't that unexpected, seeming he's managed to come up with worse things to do…My Original Character is definitely not Polaris, I assure you. Rae-chan gave me a detailed lecture about how that specific OC is forbidden, and how you're the only exception. I'm not jealous, though…I prefer on of her other OC's to Polaris, anyway. Hizumi does seem to be lacking in that department, doesn't he? I'm ecstatic that you seem to like the new boy. I do, too, and yes, he will be in future chapters.

Polaris18: Yes, it truly is…amazing. The girl is not Polaris, so you don't have to worry about anything. I apologize for the confusion.

-----xxx-----

Hizumi arrived at Tsukiomi Academy earlier than usual, and had time to visit Hiyono in the Journalism Club before classes began. A small smile graced his lips as he traversed the hallways, passing scattered students on the way to his destination. He was suddenly stopped in his tracks by one of the juniors, who had brought an arm around his neck. A startled glance was cast in the boy's direction, and Hizumi immediately calmed down upon seeing that the boy was definitely not Ayumu Narumi.

"Hey, Mizutsuro, how about you help us with next week's game? The coach saw you shooting hoops on the court last week, and in all honesty, you're better than most our players." The blonde laughed and looked to Hizumi expectantly. "So how about it, eh? Signups are already over, but the coach won't mind squeezing you in if he kicks out a player…"

Hizumi blushed a light pink at the offer and squirmed out of the upperclassmen's grasp. "Um…Hirojima-sempai….I really appreciate the offer, but…I…I'm really not that great." The boy laughed softly, hoping that the third year would be satisfied with the declination.

"You're kidding, right? You're the best! You and Narumi are the greatest players in the freshman class!" Blondie exclaimed, attracting unwanted attention to the mint-haired freshman.

"Narumi? You asked _him_ to join the team?" A thoughtful look replaced the confusion on the boy's face for a brief moment, as he considered the possibilities of joining the basketball team with Ayumu. Absolutely nothing came to mind. He'd rather join the cheerleading squad than be on the basketball team with Ayumu Narumi. "No thanks." Hizumi frowned, deciding against it. "I don't have the time." He lied, hoping it would be a reasonable enough excuse for the boy.

"Ok, well…if you change your mind…."

"I _won't_." Hizumi argued, hoping that he wasn't coming off as rude. The last thing he wanted was to be hated by the upperclassmen, when he had already gotten on everyone's good side, despite having done it through deception and lies. _'Still…it's better than being _

_rejected…'_ he pondered, deciding that he was happy with things the way they were.

Quickly, he continued on his way to the Journalism Club office in hopes to get to talk with Hiyono before the bell for first period rang. He stopped in front of the door, reaching out a hand to slide the door open. No sooner had he touched the handle, the bell sounded, and students poured out into the hallways in their haste to get to class. "Damnit…." Mizutsuro cussed beneath his breath, knowing that he'd have to meet up with Hiyono at lunch. The door slid open and Hizumi stared at the brunette who stood in front of him.

"Narumi…" the amber-eyed boy growled through gritted teeth, and glared at said boy like a cornered dog.

"And good morning to you, too." Ayumu spoke, confused as to why the boy seemed so hostile when around him. Last he checked, he was simply going about his own business, so what could he have done to agitate him? "You sure seem to be in a good mood." He noticed, realizing that sarcasm really wasn't the best tactic for dealing with Hizumi.

"Shut up." Said boy hissed angrily, then turned to get to his class. "Just leave me alone."

"What was that all about?" Hiyono blinked as she followed the brunette out of the Journalism office. "I've never seen Hizumi act like that before."

"Who knows?" Narumi shrugged, wondering if the kiss at the park was the reason for the directed hatred. _'That couldn't be it…could it? Why would he get so upset over a kiss? There's absolutely no reason….'_ The boy hesitated, never really thinking it possible. _'Unless I stole his first kiss….but would he really get that upset over it? Hizumi doesn't seem like the type to worry about that type of thing….but if he wasn't, why would he act like this toward me?'_

"Maybe he ate something bad, and it made him cranky." Hiyono spoke up, tapping a finger to her chin.

"He's not like you, Hiyono." The brunette reminded her as he stopped at the intersection between two hallways. "My class is down this hall. I'll see you later, then."

"Oh, ok." The girl nodded, watching her friend turn and get swallowed up by the sea of students. _'I'm sure both he and Hizumi will be fine…'_ she nodded, then turned down the opposite hall, making her way to her own class before she was marked tardy yet again.

"Good morning, class." Mr. Minato greeted his students as he walked into the room after the bell had rung. The man strolled over to his desk and placed his things down on the smooth surface before casting his dark blue gaze over the children.

"Ohayo, Minato-sensei!" the class chimed in unison.

The math teacher smiled at the enthusiastic greeting and stood erect before the group. "Today, we have a new student joining us, so I want you all to treat him with respect and help him get around, understand?" A slight gesture was given toward the door, and a young man with lavender hair and bright orange eyes stepped into the classroom, standing beside the teacher. "Class, I want you all to meet Hisou Hirasaka. He transferred here all the way from Okinawa."

"Hello." The boy smiled warmly to the class, immediately drawing fan-girlish squeals from the girls in the group.

"Hirasaka…why don't you put your name up on the board, and while you're at it, you can tell us a bit about yourself, like your favorite color or something." Minato explained to the boy.

"My favorite color?" Hisou frowned slightly, but turned to the blackboard, picking up a piece of chalk between his fingers, and quickly writing down his name. "Well, as you all know, I'm from Okinawa. My family moved there from Hokkaido a few summers ago." He smiled, turning to face the class once more. "I like spending my free time reading, bathing in onsen, and going to festivals. My favorite color is blue, and my only weakness…" The lavender-haired boy hesitated, then strolled down the aisles until he reached a girl with light blue hair and darker blue eyes. The youth lowered himself onto one knee as if he were proposing, and gently took the girl's hand in his own, placing a kiss on the back of her delicate hand. "…is a pretty girl." He smiled, displaying a most prince-like behavior. More squeals and coos filled the room as he stood, walking back to the front of the class with a cherubic smile painted on his face.

"Uh…thank you, Mr. Hirasaka…" Minato sweatdropped. "You can take your seat now." He pointed out an empty desk beside Ayumu. "You can sit next to Mr. Narumi."

"Alright." Hisou smiled, taking a seat beside the brunette, then turning to face him. "Hi there." Orange eyes raked over the boy's frame, taking in every detail, and the irritated look on the brunette's face didn't go unnoticed either.

Ayumu avoided eye contact and made no attempt to reply to the boy, in hopes he would leave him alone. That prince charming attitude was no doubt a real turn off to the males in the class, and it was obvious that Hisou was very much ignorant of that. Even though he chose to ignore him, he could feel those deep, orange orbs staring at him, burning into him with every passing second. Not even Rutherford's glare held that kind of extremity. "You know, it's rude to stare." Narumi whispered as the teacher began his lecture.

"Domo, Narumi-kun….I was hoping that you would share your book with me…" Hisou whispered in reply.

"No talking in my class!" Mr. Minato growled, his hand hovering over the blackboard. With speed only a cheetah could match, he spun around, hurling the piece of chalk toward the two troublesome teens in attempt to knock sense into them and make it clear that talking wasn't allowed.

Ayumu's eyes widened as he watched the chalk fly at him with the speed of a bullet.

Those marmalade pools caught every movement, every precise detail, and the boy's mind had calculated the exact path of the piece of chalk, determining its target. Narumi. He watched with a calm stoic as the chalk drew closer to the brunette. At the very last second, he whipped his hand out, catching the object in mid-air before it could hit the boy seated next to him. A few startled gasps and murmurs reached his ears, and a small smile pulled at his lips.

"He caught the chalk!" One boy whispered to another.

"No one's _ever_ caught the chalk before!" a few others murmured quietly.

Hisou shrugged it off, as if it was an everyday thing. "Narumi-kun…?"

"Y-yeah?" the boy had been somewhat shaken due to his near death experience, but still managed to squeak out a response.

Hisou placed his hand down on his desk and closed those odd colored orbs. "In a life or death situation, precision and timing matters. Be more careful. Two more centimeters….no….two and a quarter…and you could've been seriously hurt." He explained. Slowly, he brought his hands flat on his desk, pushing himself up out of his seat. "Minato-sensei…" Those ocher orbs snapped open, and in one fluid motion, his arm was flung out in front of him, and the chalk hurled toward the teacher.

Minato stepped aside before said object hit him, and watched it crash into the chalkboard, leaving a tiny indentation behind. "Hm." He glanced at it, cleared his throat, then grabbed a new piece of chalk, turning back to the board. "Continuing on with our lesson…"

Hisou sat down in his chair, as if nothing had happened, ignoring the hushed whispers and starting rumors going on around him. "Narumi…?"

"Hm?"

Hisou groaned inwardly at the boy's naivety, after all that had happened in the course of the last three minutes. "I still need to borrow your book."

Classes continued as normal, and students hurried to their classes, as they had always done, only today they rushed with the expectation of hearing the news of rumors told by their friends, and the twisted truths of the new transfer student.

By lunchtime, word had been spread throughout the school of the odd-eyed boy who had challenged and "assaulted" a teacher. Groups of girls and boys alike had flocked around the lavender-haired teen to interrogate him and find out for themselves if he was as great as rumors foretold.

"Ladies, ladies, one at a time. _Please_!" Hisou tried to maintain order amongst the high school girls who were clamoring around him like hens to seed. "There's only one of me, and I know that's rather disappointing, but…" he brought a finger under a girl's chin, tilting her face upward and gazing longingly into her eyes. "But that just means I can spend time with each of you lovely ladies, one on one." The girl's hand was brought to his lips, and softly kissed. "There is absolutely _nothing_ that would give me more pleasure than seeing your beautiful smiles, my beautiful doves." He smiled, feeling the temperature increase to a dangerous level from the head radiating off of the girl's faces.

"Ugh, look at him, milking that prince charming act for all it's worth." Hiyono pouted, watching the crazed fangirls drool all over the new student. "He really doesn't seem like the type to relish all that attention. I mean, sure he's attractive, but that's no reason in itself to go crazy over a guy. If there's no real love involved, then it's only lust, right?" The blonde glanced over to Hizumi, who sat beside her at the outside tables, calmly eating the bento Kirie had left for him.

"How should I know?" The boy groaned, as he picked up a chunk of rice with his chopsticks. "I don't care about that kind of stuff. I've never been in love, and I prefer not to start anytime soon." He explained.

"So if a girl said that they liked you…" Hiyono began, simply putting the question on the table out of curiosity.

"I wouldn't care." Mizutsuro shrugged. "Like you just said, if a girl likes a guy just because they're attractive, then it's only lust. There's also the possibility that if it actually _is_ love, it could turn out to be a one-sided relationship. The other party may not always feel the same way."

"True, but falling in love really isn't something you can control, like the weather." There was a moment of hesitation as she pondered quietly over her next question, unsure if she should voice it or not. "Hizumi…?"

"Yeah?" Those deep, golden pools lifted, focusing on the blonde in front of him. "What is it?"

"Are you…y'know…in love with Ayumu?" she questioned, instantly regretting it.

"Are you stupid?" the boy frowned, wondering if she was really that naive or just blind. "There's no way in hell I'm in love with that bastard. I hate him. End of story."

"Well…it's just…you seem kind of tense whenever you're around him…and you've been avoiding him lately, haven't you? I think that's a sure sign of a crush, Hizumi." The sophomore explained, trying to make it clear for him.

"I avoid him because he pisses me off!" the younger student growled, wishing to end the conversation before it got any worse.

"So you don't have any feelings for him at all? I'm sure that if you just…"

"_No_!" Mizutsuro yelled angrily as he rose from his seat. "I _don't_ have feelings for him! I never _will_ have feelings for him! So just shut the hell up about it, ok? I'm _not _in love with that bastard, Narumi!" The youth growled, succeeding in sending a chill down the blonde's spine and attracting the attention of a quarter of the school. Ayumu Narumi was no exception to the onlookers.

The brunette stared, wide-eyed at the boy whose words pierced the core of his heart and ripped his soul into shreds. All he had done from the very beginning was try to help the boy, and get to know him better, despite being somewhat suspicious of him. And for his help, he was being rejected. Determination settled on the boy's face, and just as he was about to push his way through the crowd to confront Mizutsuro, a pair of oddly-colored orbs settled on him, fixing him to that one spot. _'Wha-? I…I can't move…!'_ Narumi realized, unsure if it was paralysis from the shock or if the lilac-haired boy held some kind of magic power over him. Either way, he was helpless, frozen in place, and he could only watch as Hizumi was confronted by the transfer student, and taken with him into the building. _'Hizumi…' _

A/N: I hope that this chapter's length compensates for the shorter chapters I've been writing as of late. I apologize for that. Since I don't want to disappoint, I thought it best to make up for it with a longer chapter, so I hoped that you all enjoyed it. The character known as Hisou Hirasaka is not mine, but I've been given unlimited ownership over him in exchange for one of my own original characters. This has been a challenging chapter to do, since I had to write it while I feel like crap. I think I'm getting sick, and my head feels like it's going to explode. What horrible timing….I had planned on asking Rae-chan for a favor. And now I have to find a way to get my brother out of the house for a few days, since I won't get any rest with him around. As a reminder to you readers…if you have a kid brother, kill him before he kills you. My little demon of a sibling hit me with a baseball bat the last time I was sick and fell asleep in his presence. …Maybe I'll set his pajamas on fire while he sleeps….or is that too cruel? Feel free to leave suggestions, or a review for this poor authoress' fanfic that she labors so diligently on, even on the verge of dying. Ja.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: The world isn't as cruel as I thought it was. I had ordered the Sukisyo box set about a month or two ago, and I received an email saying that it would be shipped within a few days. You really wouldn't believe how incredibly pissed I was for those past two months when my order never came. I took most of that anger out on my younger brother, and just a few days ago, he finally retaliated. I was sleeping when he hit me in the head with the package, the bastard. Yes, he gets his revenge most the time when I'm asleep because he's too afraid to do it when I'm awake…pretty sneaky, huh? But, I didn't mind it so much that time, because I was far too busy fawning over my new DVD's. Sadly, they're in Japanese….and no subtitles. I spent the entire first episode confused and bitching about useless Japanese folk who were too lazy to add subtitles to their DVD's. So I had to go back and watch the first episode again, since I missed half of what they were saying. It was only then that I realized I had a button for subtitles on the remote…I haven't the slightest of how I overlooked that. I'm usually much more observant…almost to the point where it scares most people…anywho, I treasure my new DVD's dearly…now if only I could find a way to keep my brother away from them….

KousukeAsazuki: No, I'm not dying, though I really did feel like it. It was horrible. You really shouldn't judge a character by their actions or appearance, especially if you're just getting to know them.

Polaris18: I'm glad you wished for my recovery. It helped…kind of. Yes, I'm still going to help you move in. I made a promise to you, and you should know by now that I always keep my promises, unlike you. I'm still waiting for that oneshot you promised to put up two months ago.

-----xxx-----

Hisou quickly ushered Hizumi into the building, safe from the eyes of the onlookers outside, and especially from little Narumi.

"What is it that you want?" the mint-haired boy seemed somewhat calmer than he had been while he was outside, now that all eyes weren't on him.

"_Want_?" Hisou parroted, laughing quietly. "There's nothing I want from you, Hizumi, though, there _is_ something I wish to confirm." He stated, not wasting any time in getting straight to the point. "If you'll be so kind as to follow me…It won't take long….just a little walk is all I had in mind." The lavender-haired teen explained, turning and walking down the hall, which was mostly abandoned, save for a few students who had wandered from the lunchroom and mingled with their friends, chatting idly by their lockers to pass the time. There was a much more interesting way to pass the time, in Hisou's point of view.

"Where are we going?" The younger boy questioned, immediately having suspicions about the odd-haired boy and his intentions. Despite his growing suspicion, he fell in step with Hisou, deciding it better to place trust in him rather than Narumi.

"Don't ask questions." Hisou snapped in a bitter tone, meant as a warning to the boy behind him. "If you were more observant of your surroundings, you'd have your answer already."

Hizumi kept quiet, occasionally glancing at the doors he passed. "It's just a normal hallway…there's nothing…"

"Keep quiet." Hisou ordered, running short on patience with the boy, not that it was Hizumi's fault. He quickly turned a corner and stopped abruptly before two large doors that led into the library.

"The library?" Hizumi frowned slightly upon seeing the doors in front of him.

"No, it's the post office." Hisou shot back, bitterly, as he threw open the doors and sauntered into the large room.

Hizumi rolled his eyes, not at all amused with the boy's sarcasm, but followed him inside, anyway.

"Hizumi…." Hisou turned to the boy once the doors had closed behind them. Those marmalade orbs glowed in the dimmed light like dying embers. "I need to know…." Those long legs carried the boy forward, closing in on Hizumi and cornering him against the wall. "Tell me…." His voice dropped to a mere whisper, and a hand shot out, pressed on the wall near Hizumi's head, while the other caught the boy's chin and lifted it up.

Those honey-colored orbs stared into orange pools of fire, defiant, yet fearful. Orange eyes took in every detail of Mizutsuro's body, from the slight trembling of his lip, to the boy's trembling legs.

"Tell me…"

Hizumi shut his eye tightly as Hisou drew closer, his breath hot on his ear. A small whimper died upon his lips as he felt a foreign wetness caress the shell of his ear.

"Tell me if you want me to stop."

Hizumi's eyes snapped open as his earlobe was drawn into that hot, wet mouth and gently suckled. "Hi-sou….you….we can't…" he whispered, feeling confusion and lust rage within him, warring with each other.

"We _can_…" Hisou purred softly, so as not to upset the silent atmosphere. Since the library was hardly ever used, there was no need for them to whisper, and they were free to make as much noise as they wanted, but unfortunately, the room and halls weren't soundproof. His head was lowered, and his lips glided down that long exposed neck, trailing feather soft kisses over the succulent flesh.

Hizumi let out a trembling sigh, hesitant to throw himself into the flames being ignited within him; to lose himself in the searing flame and to have his soul consumed, burned to ash from the inferno being fueled by the stranger's touch and burning kisses.

"Can you trust me?" Hisou questioned before going further to test Hizumi's limits.

"Yes." Hizumi's voice was no longer his own, but was the voice of lust; breaking free from its prison after being restrained for so long.

"With your body?" A soft kiss was placed on Mizutsuro's cheek, and a hand was slipped under his shirt, those slender digits resting lightly above the boy's heart.

"Yes." Hizumi gasped at the sudden coldness of the boy's hands upon his heated skin.

"With your heart?" Those ocher eyes gleamed brightly with a sinful lust for the boy, and his lips pressed softly to his in attempt to extinguish some of the heat radiating from his body at a dangerous level, threatening to consume the both of them. Hisou slipped his tongue past those parted lips, licking every inch of the boy's mouth and swallowing the younger one's moan that erupted from his throat. Reluctantly, he pulled away, licking his lips and finding that the boy tasted slightly of honey and strawberry.

"Yes." Hizumi gasped, having been left breathless from the heated kiss. His hands tangled in Hisou's hair, pulling him closer and demanding more.

"With your soul?" An arm curled around the boy's waist and he pulled Mizutsuro close, grinding his hips against the shorter boy's clothed erection.

"Yes." Hizumi gasped, thrusting his hips into Hisao's, silently begging for more of the delicious friction against his groin. "Hisao-sempai…please…"

'_He's begging already…I'm just getting started…'_ he mentally laughed, then bit down softly on Hizumi's neck, leaving red marks on the beautiful skin. "Would you let Narumi touch you like this? Hold you…? Taste you…? Make you his?"

The mint-haired boy gasped, snapping out of his lust-filled state and staring wide-eyed at the boy in front of him. "Don't bring Narumi into this….It's _you_ that I want, Hisao-sempai…"

"Is it _really_?" Hisao stepped away from the boy. "Is it really possible to want someone that badly after having known them for only a day? Was it really me that you were focusing on while I kissed you, teased you into the state you were in…or was it young Narumi?" he questioned. "If you can answer that truthfully, then I'll continue…"

"It was _you_. I _swear_, Hisao-sempai! It was _you_!" Hizumi yelped, desperately wanting to believe his own words, but some buried part of him told him otherwise.

"You're lying." Hisao smirked as a devious grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. His face drew close to Mizutsuro's ear, and a gentle kiss was placed upon the sensitive skin. "…_Tenchi_…" That single word was whispered, drawing an immediate reaction from his captive.

Hizumi gasped at the sudden nickname, his eyes widening as the events of last night crawled to the forefront of his mind. "…So you _were_ the one who I ran into last night." The younger boy frowned, none too pleased with Hisou's sudden attitude change. In truth, he had liked him better last night. "_You_…you called me angel last night, and…"

"Pardon?" Hisou blinked once, twice, trying to understand the situation. "I'm afraid that you're mistaken. I've never met you before until today." He spoke. "I'm not sure what you saw of me or someone pretending to be me last night, but I assure you, you can see as much as you'd like tonight, if you're willing…" he whispered in the boy's ear, gently placing a hand to Hizumi's cheek.

The boy let out a startled yelp, immediately drawing back from the obviously demented teen, and staring at him as if he had grown a second head. "What the hell do you take me for? Why deny the fact that I met you last night? What do you possibly have to gain by lying to me about our meeting? Unless you've got amnesia, then you should remember, damnit!"

"_Gain_?" Hisou parroted, as he put a finger to his cheek and feigning a look of confusion. "I'm not that selfish as deceive people for my own personal gain. That's just plain dirty, and it's really cruel of you to assume that I would ever do something so devious and underhanded. Now as for denying that statement, I deny it because it's true." Hirosaka explained, as he took a step back from the cornered boy, lest Hizumi planned to suddenly assault him. "I'm not lying, so you can believe me if you want to. I assure you, Hizumi…" Those oddly colored orbs took on a lighter shade of orange in the dimly lit room, as he stared at Mizutsuro. ""I'm _not_ like _you_…"

Hizumi growled at the comment, and opened his mouth to give a snide remark in reply, but the bell for the next class cut him off before he could deny the charges.

Hisou stood motionless before the accused, staring down at him through glowing, ocher orbs. "Don't you _ever _accuse me of something I'm not guilty of. I assure you, Hizumi…it will _not_ end well." The boy threatened, as the objects in the room began to levitate, and the books on the library shelves began to tremble under the immense power the boy was radiating.

Hizumi forced down the lump in his throat, and tried to press himself further against the wall behind him, in attempt to escape the boy who seemed to house unearthly powers.

A brief chuckle sounded from Hisou's lips, and the objects in the room returned to their normal state, being handed over to gravity once more. "Now, seeing as how I'm really a nice guy and prefer to settle things without bloodshed, I'll trust you to keep this little session of ours a secret." The older freshman turned his back to the younger and strode across the room to the large doors that they had entered from. "I hope you've learned something, Hizumi. It would be such a waste of time _and_ talent if you didn't…." Without a second glance to the boy, he made his way out of the room, stepping out into the hallway and heading to his next class.

Hizumi let out a trembling sigh as his legs gave out. His back slid down the wall, and he fell into a sitting position, wide-eyed and thoroughly confused as to the events that had just taken place. _'What is he….?' _

A pair of deep, azure orbs stared down at the petrified youth, then glanced to the clock hanging on the wall. The silver-haired girl arched an eyebrow upon realizing the time, and mentally cursed herself for losing track of time. In less than three minutes, her next class would be starting, and she still had to find a way out of the room and get off campus without being seen. _'Hizumi….you and your personal matters are quite the burdensome task.' _

Hisou traversed the elongated halls, lost only in thought. It was completely beyond him how Hizumi could be so incredibly selfish and somewhat naïve. He had to learn that it could be better to open his heart and take the risk of getting hurt in a love, than to forever close his heart off to everyone and hurt himself in the process. The latter would be far more painful to anyone, not just him. It would certainly prove to be worse for Ayumu in the end, who was trying so hard to throw himself into a relationship with a difficult, close-minded boy who had no idea of the concepts of love. _'That's why we have to make this work….' _ Hisou decided as he stepped into his next class and took a set as his desk. _'Though it may be a difficult task now that Hizumi knows about my powers……but it couldn't be helped. If he wasn't so difficult…'_ Hisou thought with a sigh. _'I'd be better off in dealing with Narumi. He'd be a lot more willing to cooperate than Hizumi, and it certainly wouldn't stress me out as much, at least not to the point where my powers get out of hand.'_ The lavender-haired youth caught a slight movement in the corner of his eye, and he quickly grabbed the pencil that had been lazily floating in the air. _'Jeez…'_ a brief look of annoyance crossed his face, but was hidden with a perfectly timed poker face as the teacher stepped into the classroom.

Hisou brought his hand up and lightly caressed the outline of his ear. A soft gasp died upon his lips at the realization of something missing. Quickly, a startled glance was given to the teacher who stood before the class, giving out the assignment for the period. The words fell upon deaf ears, and Hisou brought his hands onto either side of his desk, pushing himself out of his seat and running for the door. "I…I'm going to the bathroom!" he yelped, unable to think of a reasonable excuse for suddenly bolting out of class.

The teacher blinked once, quickly getting over the shock of the boy's sudden disappearing act. "Be back in five minutes." He muttered, then continued issuing the assignment for the class.

Hisou groaned inwardly at letting himself be distracted, and briefly wondered at what time he could have lost his earring. It could only have been with Hizumi in the library, but _when_….? The boy was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Hizumi wandering the halls like a lost lamb, and he ran past said boy in a blur.

Mizutsuro blinked as he noticed a streak of lavender and blue approach him, then fly past him as quickly as it had come. He stood, transfixed to that one spot as a gust of wind and a sonic boom followed soon after. _'What the….?'_

Hisou burst into the dimly lit library and looked around the area frantically, wondering where the desired object had fallen.

"Looking for something?" A voice questioned, disrupting the silence.

"You're still here?" Hisou replied, briefly forgetting about the lost earring, and looking to a certain sliver-haired girl who sat perched atop one of the closer bookshelves, gazing down at him.

"I'm no ghost." The girl smiled as she jumped down from the shelf, landing on her feet with the grace of a cat. The uniform she wore was most definitely not that of Tsukiomi Academy, but that of a different school. The black, gothic-lolita dress and matching nylons she wore made her stand out like a sore thumb amongst the other students.

"Be careful no one sees you. You'd have hell trying to explain yourself to the principal." Hisou mentioned, as he cocked his head to the side, trying to understand the reason for her being there at all.

"You needn't educate me on such trivial matters. I'm aware of that, and I'm certainly defter at hiding certain situations better than you." The girl chided with a smile. "Like your little psychic powers. That was quite a show….are you perhaps having a difficult time controlling them…?"

"That wasn't my fault. They're a lot easier to keep in check when I have the…" Hisou began, before he was cut off.

"Earring?" Blue eyes stared directly into ocher, and the girl held out her hand, revealing said item to the boy. "Honestly, it's only your first day here. The last thing we need is for you to have an outstanding reputation as the boy who accidentally ripped the school to pieces with his powers. You should try to keep them hidden for the time being. It's too early to use them just yet, especially with them being unstable without your limiter earring." She sighed, lightly caressing the shell of his ear and snapping the silver item on the middle of his ear, much like Narumi wore his. "You lost it when you were playing with the Mizutsuro boy…when he had grabbed you by your hair…Your earring caught on his sleeve and it fell off."

"Oh." Hisou frowned, blushing a light pink at remembrance of it. "Yeah…I suppose that would make sense. Arigatou…Kirimi-chan." The boy smiled.

"Keep an eye open next time. I'm not always going to be around to correct your mistakes." The silver-haired girl scolded him. "I have to get back to class. Thanks to you, I'm already four minutes late."

"Jeez, detention won't kill you." Hisou frowned, knowing that rules were far stricter at her school than his.

"If I get detention, I _will _kill you." Her head turned, and those piercing azure pools glared daggers at him.

'_If looks could kill…'_ Hisou thought, deciding to keep his mouth shut. "Whatever." He shrugged, realizing that he had to get back to his own class.

"Sometimes, I swear, you're just as bad as _him_." Kirimi huffed as she walked toward the large window at the far end of the library. With little effort, she slid the large glass open, pushing it aside before she climbed onto the window pane. "…You're both equally difficult."

"Well, we _are_ the same…" Hisou smiled at the illuminated figure aglow in the sun's light, her pale tresses and dark dress being tossed playfully by a sudden gust; and for a moment, he could swear that she looked like an angel. _'She certainly doesn't act like one…'_ he thought, watching as yet another warning glare was sent his way.

"…….You're looking at my panties, aren't you?" She accused, narrowing those sapphire orbs.

A smile caressed the boy's lips at the sudden accusation. "Maybe." He spoke, though not having the slightest interest in the girl's underwear.

"Pervert." She huffed, before leaping gracefully out the window, leaving only a sakura petal in her wake.

Hisou stared at the open window, before approaching it and pulling it shut so as not to draw attention from anyone who passed into the unused library for some reason, or any spectator outside. _'And she calls me difficult…' _

A/N: I hope you readers enjoyed this chapter, and don't have many questions about the events that occurred. If it seems that Hisou-kun is weird, I assure you, he is. And once again, I feel I have to point out, that he does not in any way, shape, or form belong to me. So please, don't confuse him with my own Original Characters. Now, I think I'm going to continue watching my beloved Sukisyo DVD's. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I find time between my anime, school, and taking care of my son and my brother. Ja ne.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: it's good to be back. It feels like forever since I updated. Enjoy.

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School ended all too quickly for Ayumu, and the boy mentally cursed himself for wasting most of it with Hiyono, instead of trying to confront Hizumi. His mind had been occupied with not only schoolwork and studies, but a certain lavender-haired transfer student. _'Where did he take Hizumi during lunch, and…what did he say to him?'_ he pondered, turning a deaf ear to Hiyono, who had been lecturing him on some matter of the Blade Children.

"…At least, that's what I've heard from Rio…" the blonde sighed, as she helped the brunette to clean the classrooms on the second floor. "Uh, Ayumu?"

"Huh?" Narumi blinked, snapping out of his reverie long enough to catch the girl's last few words.

"You weren't listening to a word I was saying, were you?" Yuizaki huffed, as she held the trashcan in one hand, and placed the other hand on her hip.

"No, not really." He admitted, despite knowing he'd get an earful about the lack of attention he'd been giving her.

"You're so difficult. It's no wonder why Hizumi doesn't want to get close to you…" she realized, as she emptied the trashcan and placed it back beside the teacher's desk.

'_He's the one who's difficult. He's so unreasonable, and it's nothing less than irritating. If he sees something he doesn't like about me, then why doesn't he just come out and say it, instead of keeping it bottled up inside? At least maybe then I could try to fix whatever the problem is, and try to get closer to him.'_ Narumi reasoned, perplexed as to how one single person could be so inextricable. _'What could I have done to make him hate me?'_ His head turned, and he glanced out the window, taking notice of the mint-haired boy as he exited the building. _'Oh, he's going home now. I didn't have a chance to talk to him today. I miss him. He looks so cute, even watching him from far away.'_ He noticed, watching Hizumi intently like a cat looks at cream.

A gentle breeze picked up, caressing the boy's mint green strands. Hizumi brought his hand up, in attempt to calm the fluttering locks and move them out of his eyes.

'_Although my heart starts pounding when I'm near him, I really want to talk to him, even just one word…but….he's so difficult. If only I could find a way to break that barrier around him, and get him to let_ _me in….' _the brunette-haired boy let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that it would take a miracle just to get a simple "Hello" from the boy. But he, of all people knew that miracles didn't exist. For one to find happiness, they had to believe they could be happy first, and then make their own path toward that dream. Nothing ever simply fell into a person's lap, but had to be attained through effort and determination.

"Hey, Ayumu," Hiyono looked up from her work and turned to face the sullen brunette. "I was thinking…about the new transfer student. Don't you think that he seems to be just a little too friendly with Hizumi and the other students? I mean, it's only his first day here, and he's liked by the entire student body, and most of the teachers! Something about that seems fishy, don't you think?"

"I really couldn't care less about him." Narumi argued, as he continued to mop the floors. "People like Hikao…"

"Um….it's Hisou…" the upperclassman corrected him.

"Whatever," he huffed, as he turned his back to her. "People like him usually act in such a way to hide their ulterior motives. As long as it doesn't involve me, I could care less about what he does." He explained.

"Even if his so-called 'ulterior motive' involves Hizumi?"

A soft sound of amusement and skepticism rose up from the back of Narumi's throat at the comment, and those russet orbs darted to the blonde, holding a quizzical look. "How could that be possible? What sense would it make in getting the entire student body to dote over him, just to get to one person? Sorry, Hiyono, but that's highly unlikely."

"…..I guess you're right." Yuizaki sighed, as she hung her head. _'Still, I can't help but wonder about Hirasaka-kun's relationship to Hizumi….'_

Hisou had been one of the first to exit the building, and headed straight for the park in hopes to have some time to himself before he headed home. No sooner had he sat down on one of the benches, a voice above him caught his attention.

"You're late."

A brief laugh sounded from the orange-eyed boy's mouth, and he slouched forward to let his arm rest across his knee. "How did you know I was going to be here?" he asked eyeing the sakura petal that drifted down in front of him, coming to rest delicately atop his sneaker.

"I have my sources." The voice replied in answer to the question. Another sakura petal fell, drifting down into a sea of lavender.

For a long moment, both were painfully aware of the awkward silence between them, which was made even more awkward when Hisou chose to glance up at the girl sitting in the tree.

"You seem rather fond of peeking at my underwear I've noticed." The silver-haired figure spoke, with a calm that shouldn't have been one of the more predominant qualities.

"They're not that great." Hisou replied, with an indecisive frown. "Kirimi-chan, listen….I…" he began, before he was so rudely interrupted.

"I happened to notice your little makeout session with Hizumi during lunch." She said, bluntly, not wasting any time in getting straight to the point. Her time was precious, and she didn't want to waste it with small talk.

"Yeah, about that…." Hisou tried to speak, but was cut off yet again.

"It was a rather abrupt approach, don't you think?" Kirimi frowned down upon the marmalade-eyed boy, clearly making her disapproval of the situation known. "Our main objective is to create situations that he's comfortable in, especially with young Narumi. It's not going to help us any if you force yourself on him like that. It could succeed in doing the complete opposite of our intended objective, which could in turn bring up undesired results."

"I guess you're right." Hisou sighed. "But being direct is the only way to get the message across with him. Anything else just won't work. He's….difficult." he snapped, stating what was already painfully obvious.

"The direct approach doesn't work in the same way with everyone. Think of it as hunting. If a hunter chooses to approach his target directly, he succeeds in only scaring it away, whereas a hunter who takes the necessary time to plan out his strategy and approach his prey slowly and with traps has a far better success rate for capturing it, wouldn't you agree?" a tiny smile graced the girl's lips.

"Yeah. It makes sense, but do you really think that doing all of this will help him in the long run?" Orange pools closed in frustration, and his brow furrowed as he tired to think of what type of plan the girl had in mind, but reading her was just as difficult as foretelling the future.

"I'm sure of it. We just have to have patience. Dealing with Hizumi's not an easy matter." Kirimi stated with a nod, somewhat proud of her preparedness and calm insight. She was the one who seemed slightly more level-headed out of the two, and that seemed to contribute to some of it, though she'd never mention it to Hisou.

"Neither is dealing with _you_." he mumbled beneath his breath, hoping that the silver-haired girl wouldn't hear. She did, indeed hear the snide remark, and rewarded him by wriggling her foot out of her shoe and letting it drop onto the boy's head.

"You're an obnoxious bastard, you know that?"

Hisou laughed and picked up the girl's shoe that had fallen onto the bench after it had been flung at his head. "Thanks for your loving words of encouragement." He handed said object to the girl and watched her put it on. "So why did you assign me to deal with Hizumi, exactly?"

"It would seem that you'd be better off in coaxing him to open up to little Narumi, and accepting people into his life." The silver-haired girl spoke quietly, a small smile gracing her pink lips once again.

"You just don't want to get your hands dirty, so you assigned yourself to the Narumi boy, isn't that right? That's pretty sneaky…get _me_ to do all the work. Hmph! You knew from the start that Ayumu would be a lot more willing to go along with your little plans than Hizumi would ever be."

"So?" Kirimi's smile faded, and a frown settled upon her lips at the boy's ability to turn the conversation around on her. "You're thinking too much. And besides, a bit of work wouldn't kill you." She yawned and leapt gracefully from the tree. "If it becomes difficult for you, I'll provide you with assistance, but until then, you're on your own."

"Thanks a lot." Ocher orbs stared into cerulean, and watched the girl as she turned and found her way out of the park, leaving him to contemplate his next move with Hizumi.

Kirimi left the park and melted into the crowds who were anxiously pushing to buy their last minute Valentines Day gifts for their loved ones. Those sapphire orbs widened slightly as an idea formed in her head, and she pushed her way through the packed sidewalks until she came across a cozy little gift store that she visited regularly.

A small bell jingled as she pushed open the door and slipped inside, finding the open space a lot more pleasant than the pushing and shoving outside. "Oh, are you back so soon, Sakura-chan?" a warm voice greeted her almost immediately.

Blue eyes focused on the young woman behind the register, and a slight nod was given in reply. "A Valentines Day gift." She spoke, stating her reason for visiting.

"Well, you've come to the right place. Feel free to look around at whatever you like. We just restocked, so there's nothing you won't be able to find." The smiling auburn-haired woman told her.

"Thank you." Kirimi nodded again and walked over to a corner of the small store that had various greeting cards and stickers displayed, along with many different chocolates and candies arranged in their own boxes beneath them. Walls of stuffed animals lie adjacent to the cards and candies. Hesitantly, a sheet of silver, heart-shaped stickers was chosen from amongst the rest, and three different boxes of assorted chocolates, all neatly secured with a different color bow. "I'll be buying these." Kirimi announced as she turned toward the woman at the register.

"Is that all?"

"I believe so." She watched as the cashier rang up the items, then slipped out her money and paid for them

"So are these for someone special?" the emerald-eyed woman questioned, as she put the items into a bag, presuming that a girl her age would have some secret crush on a boy at her school or around the neighborhood.

Kirimi uttered a small noise of displeasure at being caught off guard with the question, and she forced a small smile. "There is _someone_ in particular who I'd like to give them to..." she trailed off. A noticeable blush caressed her cheeks and a glance was given to the floor. "But…he already has someone who he likes."

"Oh. That's too bad. Maybe he wasn't the right person for you, anyway. I'm sure a cute girl like you can find plenty of guys to go out with you."

"Ah, thank you." Kirimi nodded, grabbed her bag and bowed slightly, before exiting the store and making her way home.

The door was closed a bit too forcefully, echoing through the halls of the spacious house. "I'm home." A certain raven-haired figure announced as a light was flipped on so she could see. A quick glance was enough to see that no one else was home, and the violet-eyed figure huffed in annoyance. "Ugh…he's never here when I need him. He's so dependable…" she placed her bags on the kitchen table before making her way to the bedrooms to see if anyone was in there. Unfortunately, the beds in both rooms were empty. "Sai-kun…where are you….?" Raven whispered.

"Is your so called plan falling apart already?" a smooth, yet cold voice questioned from the shadows behind her. "Are you in need of my help?"

"Hardly." Raven huffed quickly, and turned to face a boy in his late teens. His wet, black tresses partially obscured his oddly-colored golden eyes, and a clever smirk rested lightly upon his lips.

"Then why'd you summon me?"

"I…I expected dinner to be ready when I got home." She explained with a frown as she brushed past the nude young man.

"Yeah right." A soft, dark chuckle echoed throughout the hallway. "You need my help. Admit it."

"I don't."

"Such a pain." The one named Sai concluded, running his fingers through his wet strands. "And when would you like for dinner tonight, your highness…?"

"…..Steak."

A/N: It seems that I've grown rather fond of using Rae-chan's OC's. yes, Sai belongs to her. (I couldn't help it. He sounded so cute the way she described him) And before I forget, I apologize for not updating. I was spending time with family in Florida.


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